The Twelve Days of Yugi
by MyWords-MySolace
Summary: It's Christmas, and Yugi's got a few surprises in store for him! Paring: Read to find out. It's pretty obvious after the first chapter. Yaoi! Merry Christmas! UPDATED AND COMPLETE!
1. The First Day of Christmas

Kumori: Oh my God! I must write like I've never written before!

Kagayami: Okay, for those of you who don't know, it's now December 14th, and Kumori wanted to get two chapters for two different Christmas fictions done for today…and she hasn't started yet!

Kumori: Oh my God, I had the week from Hell! Now I'm so behind…but mark my words, I'll have these chapters up by tonight! ..:: is typing furiously ::.. Oh…and Early Merry Christmas!

_Day Twelve_

Yugi sniffed at it hesitantly and wrinkled his nose. He cocked his head to one side furrowed his brows.

"Yugi…staring at the poor plant won't answer anything…"

The tri-colour-haired youth sighed and grinned. "I know that Ryou…it's just weird, is all…"

The plant in question was in fact a sprig of mistletoe, wrapped neatly in red tissue paper and lying in a pristine green box.

Eighteen year old Yugi's eyes shined as he leaned back into the couch and folded his legs beneath him. With Christmas only twelve days away, he seemed more radiant than ever, alabaster skin almost glowing in the light streaming through the picture window, lined in garland. An ocean of gifts sat strewn beneath the tall, gold-decorated Christmas tree in the corner, and here and there a bit of tinsel was hung, or a wreath, or a snowflake.

"Who sent it?"

Yugi shook his head, surveying the deep green box. "It doesn't say, Malik."

He had to admit, it was a little awkward opening such an odd (and bold) gift in front of all his friends. Jonouchi, Seto, Malik, Ryou, Marik, Bakura, Yami, Anzu, Mai, Shizuka, Otogi, and Honda were all situated in different places throughout his livingroom, a tradition that had come about just the year before. "Twelve Days of Friendship," as Anzu called it. For twelve days leading up to Christmas, they promised to see at least on of their friends each day. And to kick it off, everyone had stop by Yugi's place to make plans, drink eggnog, and bathe in the warmth of companionship.

It was meant to be the perfect afternoon. But of course, Yugi just _had_ to get the mail, and now this little doozy had fallen into his lap.

"Well…who's it for?" The voice belonged to Jonouchi, who leaned forward in anticipation, trying to get a better look at the object of everyone's fascination.

"It doesn't say that either. Who sends just some mistletoe with no explanation?" He resorted yet again to studying the little white and green sprig, letting his bright amethyst eyes taking in every contour of it. Maybe it had been sent to the wrong address…

Wait. There. A glimpse of white caught the hikari's attention and he reached slender fingers beneath the crimson paper. He ruffled about…he was sure he'd seen something…

The room was deathly silent. For people who usually couldn't shut up, they could be surprisingly quiet when a potential crush was on the line…

…After all, it had to be a crush. Why else would it be a plant meant to be an excuse to steal a kiss?

Finally, Yugi pulled a small, white card from beneath the sea of vermillion and raised his eyebrows. "Found something…"

Malik rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we can see that. What does it say?"

Yugi blinked. "Um…it says…" He squinted. The lettering on the card was in neat, small script, and written in fine black ink. It was almost difficult to read in its perfection, each ebony, handwritten word flowing into the next.

_Yugi. I love you. And I'm going to show you. Keep this little gift…you'll need it in exactly twelve days._

_Let the Twelve Days of Yugi begin._

_Until tomorrow, my angel._

_- Eternal_

A brilliant blush painted the boy's cheeks, and the card fell from his now-loose fingers. His jaw dropped and he was quite sure he looked akin to a fish at the moment.

He had a secret admirer? Who in their right minds would choose him? Maybe the person had misspelled 'Yami.'

He didn't notice when Mailk swooped down and retrieved the fallen note…until he heard it being read aloud.

"…'Until tomorrow, my angel.' It's signed 'Eternal.'"

Anzu swooned. "It sounds so romantic!"

Otogi raised on eyebrow. "It sounds kinda creepy."

Mai crossed her arms under her chest. "It sounds like you have a stalker."

Yugi ran a hand through his hair. This was impossible…it just was. This kind of thing didn't happen to him…he didn't need this for Christmas. He just wanted to spend a nice, quiet time with his friends, family, and Yami. But now…

…he couldn't decide if he was angry or excited.

"'The Twelve Days of Yugi?'" he recited, mulling the whole thing over in his mind, "So I've got eleven more days of this kind of stuff? What if on the twelfth day this person shows up…and it's some creepy old guy or something?"

::I don't know…he doesn't really sound like that.::

Yugi nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice in his head. ::Ra, Yami! Warn me next time!::

He looked over at his dark, sitting beside him on the couch. The taller boy gave him an impish grin. ::After three years of my voice in your head, you should be used to it.::

Yugi blinked. ::Touché.::

Yami chuckled. ::I really don't think this guy is a threat, Yugi…and even if he was, you know I'd protect you.::

The small duelist gave Yami a perplexed look, purple locking on to crimson. ::…How do you know it's a guy?::

The King of Games simply shrugged. ::It's easy really. If it were a girl, there would probably be some flowery words written on pink paper with a gel pen and sprayed with perfume. It could be a girl, but I'm guessing not.::

Yugi's eyes widened, almost to the point of pain. It wasn't really the fact that it was a boy…all of his friends knew he was gay, and since the bulk of them were also in relationships with someone of the same sex, they really didn't care…but it was the fact that a male seemed scarier in this position. If an obsessed fangirl pulled him into some alley and tried to…deflower his rose…he at least stood a chance of escape. But with a guy…

::Don't worry, aibou. Try to make the best of it…I promise, we'll all make sure you're safe.::

A rush of air passed through the boy's lips before he smiled brightly. "You're right, Yami. 'Tis the season!"

"I'm guessing that means you're going to accept this?"

Yugi shrugged and nodded vigorously to Ryou, biting his lip. "Pass me that pen on the side table, will you Yami? And the note pad?"

Yami raised an eyebrow as his did as he was told and watched his hikari scribbled furiously. "What are you writing?"

He didn't receive an answer as Yugi's scratching came to a finish and he dropped the pen in his lap. He couldn't help but smile as he leaned over to see what was written in small, neat printing across the top of the page.

"Well…come on, Yugi, what did you write?" Malik's lilac orbs shone and he tried to lean over the shorter boy and read up-side down.

Yugi looked up, eyes absolutely shimmering and an impish grin on his face. "On the first day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me, a spring of mistletoe!" he sang.

_To Be Continued…_

Kumori: Phew! One down…one to go.

Kagayami: Expect an update on this fiction every day leading up to and including Christmas.

Kumori: Not my best work…it came out a little worse than I planned, but hey! Not bad for writing the whole thing in forty minutes.

Kagayami: Past bedtime on a school night while stressing over some other stuff…but she loves you, so she shall persevere!

Kumori: Indeed! Anyway, see you tomorrow! And be sure to check out "The Twelve Lemons of Christmas" if you're feeling saucy!

Kagayami: This one, however, will stay rated G.

Kumori: Later days!


	2. The Second Day of Christmas

Kumori: Oh, Ra, I'm tired.

Kagayami: Then why are you bothering with this?

Kumori: Because it's my Christmas present to the people, and I promised miko-hanyou!

Kagayami: Fine, then you can't complain.

Kumori: Watch me! I'm tired!

Kagayami: …You're a loser…

Kumori: …Shut up. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Short, but it gets better. Promise.

_Day Eleven_

Yugi's heart was pounding in his chest as he headed for the door to collect the mail. A part of him was hoping that there was nothing there…and yet he couldn't squash the pat of him that wanted to see another package for him.

To his surprise, he pulled out only a stack of envelopes, not unlike the stack he usually pulled out. His hands, shaking from the chill of the air outside (and a little from anxiousness), leafed through each crisp, white paper haphazardly.

He didn't want to admit to himself that he was searching for something. 'Just looking through the mail,' he convinced himself, 'Nothing more, nothing less.'

He ignored the jump in his heart rate when his amethyst orbs fell upon the clean, black lettering of his "stalker." The word _Yugi_ was written neatly in the centre of two pristine colorless envelopes.

To his dismay, there was again no return address or, oddly enough, a delivery address. 'So…he delivers them himself?'

He didn't waste any time in making his way to the kitchen and plunking down at the table. He dropped the other mail across the wood surface and automatically tore away at the seal of the first package. It was slim and light, and produced only a single letter.

Yugi, for a moment, debated just throwing it out and being done with this nonsense. But, as he stared down at the black ink that seemed to taunt him, he gave in and indulged himself. 'No harm ever came from reading a letter…'

_Yugi, angel,_

_You're so special to me. You're my everything. And so it saddens me that I fear revealing myself to you. You shall know me only by 'Eternal' until Christmas night, when I shall make myself known to you. I can only hope that you will accept me._

_I mean no harm to you, and so I ask you not to worry. I'm only trying to make these days as special to you as you are to me._

_- Eternal_

A bright blush painted the hikari's cheeks. 'Am I really that important to someone?'

Inspired, he tore into the second letter with reckless abandon, this time no pausing to consider.

_Yugi,_

_You've done so many things for so many people, and you ask for nothing in return. I've chosen to show my love by giving back to you a small portion of what you've given me and all those around you. Only eleven days left, and you have many surprises in store for you. I love you, and I have ten days left to show it to you._

_Please, do not fear. In ten days, you shall know my face._

_Until tomorrow, angel._

_- Eternal_

Violet eyes scanned over the page twice more before Yugi sighed and reclined in his chair. Who could it be? From the speech, it sounded like he must have at least met the person. Maybe it was someone he knew…could it be Marik or Bakura, playing some cruel trick? Or perhaps it was from some chance meeting on the street that he'd long forgotten.

He didn't like the idea of being toyed with…but the whole thing was rather romantic in a weird sort of way. He couldn't help but let his mind wander…was he handsome? Was he crazy? Was he sincere?

The small boy shook his head. With a wide grin, he took off, both letters clutched to his chest, to his room.

On his pad of paper, under the message from yesterday, he scrawled another few lines and smiled.

_On the second day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me_

_Two helpful letters_

_And a sprig of mistletoe_

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: That was short, I know, but it's after eleven and I'm very tired. Give me a break…it'll get better as the days progress.

Kagayami: We hope…

Kumori: Oh thank you for the vote of confidence…

Kagayami: Welcome!

Kumori: ..:: sweatdrop ::.. Anyway, review, tell me what you think, and Happy Holidays!


	3. The Third Day of Christmas

Kumori: Gah! I missed another day!

Kagayami: Christmas shopping and a Christmas party all on the same day.

Kumori: It was psycho. But true to my promise, I shall get two chapters up today to make up for it.

Kagayami: You all forgive her…right?

Kumori: 'Tis the season, right?

Anyway, thank you to all who reviewed! I'm not really used to just writing pointless fluff, and I was worried about the feedback I'd receive, but apparently it's not as bad as I thought. Happy Holidays, everyone!

_Day Ten_

Malik's eyes scanned over the letters, his lilac depths absolutely sparkling. "Yugi…you lucky butt! I wish I had a secret admirer…"

Yugi giggled and rolled his eyes. "You have Marik. You don't _need_ a secret admirer."

"…True…"

"But it's so romantic, Yugi! I'm already _with_ Bakura, and he's never done anything as sweet as this, and you don't even know this person!" Ryou sighed, snatching one of the letters from Malik's hand and letting his chocolate brown orbs fly over the perfect black lettering once again.

Yugi shook his head, though he couldn't help smiling once more. "It _is_ kind of cute, I guess…but I'm not going to get my hopes up too high. I'd hate for someone to go through all this, and then show up and have me reject them. I mean, what if I don't like them, in the end?"

"Oh, don't worry about that! I'm sure it's a great person…and if not, just enjoy this! It's not everyday that someone gets the chance to be reminded of how amazing they are for twelve days in a row." Malik said, wrapping an arm around his small friend and giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Yugi! I think there's another surprise for you, here!" Yami's voice carried into the den.

The tri-colour-haired teen's heart stuttered in his chest and a little sigh escaped his cherry lips. "You guys want to come see, too?"

Of course, Malik and Ryou both nodded fervently, the latter clasping his hands. Both stayed right on Yugi's heels as he made his way from the living room to the kitchen, where they found Yami studying a rather odd few objects laid out on the table before him.

There were three burning candles, all a light purple, tall, and slender, standing up in a crystal holder. Yugi's breath caught in his throat. The thing was gorgeous, a twisting, never-ending labyrinth of clear glass that caught the light in an almost surreal way. "Where…where did you find this?"

Yami's brows furrowed. "It was sitting outside the front door…already lit."

Yugi gulped. "It was already lit when you found it? So…I just missed him?"

Yami sighed. "It would appear so…but there was a card too." He slid yet another white envelope toward his hikari, who gingerly picked up the item; as if afraid it would crumble in his hands.

"Well, come on! What does it say?" Malik was nearly bouncing up and down as he gazed at the paper in Yugi's hands.

With shaky fingers, Yugi took a deep breath and ripped the top of the envelope open, almost fearing to reach inside. His stomach flip-flopped…it was the oddest mix of anticipation, fear, and excitement he'd ever felt.

Though, he had to admit, that last one kind of overshadowed the other two.

The paper within was exactly the same as last time, folded carefully and written on with fine, black ink.

"_My dearest Yugi,_

_These candles cannot begin to match the light you've brought to my past, present, and hopefully to my future. But at least they can give you a taste of what you've given me._

_- Eternal"_

Malik and Ryou 'aww'-ed in rapid succession, and Yami chuckled. "At least he's got taste in candle-holders."

Yugi stuck his tongue out at his yami, and reached forward to run fingers over the smooth coolness of his newest gift. The flickering flames danced, almost as if reacting to his soft touch on the glass. He smiled softly.

Without a word, he raced off to his room, and found his notepad still on his desk where he'd left it. He jotted down a quick note, then left, wracking his brain as to a place where he could put his candles; where the light would hit them just right.

_On the third day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: There you go! Now I'm off to work on the next chapter!


	4. The Fourth Day of Christmas

Kumori: And, here I am again. Trying to catch up to myself.

Kagayami: She wanted to have all these chapters done by December, so she could post them up as she needed to. But no…she got lazy.

Kumori: Not lazy…I just lost track of time…and anyway, I'm getting it done, so shut up!

Kagayami: Here's the next chapter, everyone. Enjoy!

_Day Nine_

"Oh my gosh, Yugi!" Anzu squeaked, "You are so lucky!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

Yami sniggered as he reclined on the couch, stretching his legs out. "Because you are, aibou." He responded nonchalantly, resting one hand behind his head, "Romance is dead to most."

Yugi smiled and raised one eyebrow. ::Is that your way of telling me you're jealous?::

The smallest of blushes tingled in Yami's cheeks. ::No! I'm just saying, is all.::

::Not even a _little_ bit?::

Yami refused to meet his light's gaze. ::I am _not _jealous.::

Yugi put his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay."

"Could you _not_ use your mind link when we're here? It's weird when you guys start talking out loud in the middle of a conversation and we have no clue what happened." Mai teased, pulling Shizuka closer to her side on the loveseat. The smaller Jonouchi just blushed and leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

Yugi opened his mouth to respond when there was a loud knock on the door. "I'll get it," he murmured absently, mind already working. There was an off-chance that it could be one of his friends stopping by…but he had a feeling he knew exactly who was going to be standing there.

"Special delivery for a…Yugi Mutou."

He smiled politely at the delivery boy standing there. He'd been right. He stared at the brown paper package in the boy's hands, absently signing the clipboard shoved under his nose. "Merry Christmas," he called as the deliverer ran down his front walk and climbed into his waiting truck.

"Oh! What is it, what is it?" Anzu squealed as he reached the living room again, package clasped in his small hands.

Yugi barely heard her and barely noticed all four pairs of eyes in the room land directly on him as he tore at the light brown paper. It went flying in all directions, leaving in its wake a simple box, taped shut.

He didn't bother with scissors. Impatience got the better of him, and Yugi ran his fingernails along each crease. The tension in the room mounted, most not even daring to breathe.

"Well…what's inside?" Mai asked, craning her neck to try and get a peek.

Yugi blinked. And blinked again. "It's…four tins of…hot chocolate mix." He stuttered, removing the cans from the box and lining them up on the coffee table before him.

Anzu wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound very romantic…"

"Wait…wait, there's another note…" Yugi delved back into the box and brought out a small card, white with black writing, yet again.

"_Yugi, angel,_

_These aren't nearly as sweet as you are, but I know you love it. Enjoy._

_-Eternal"_

Anzu grinned and squeaked. "I retract my statement! That's so sweet!"

Yugi couldn't help but smile. "Yeah…yeah it is." He whispered to himself.

Later that night, after a few mugs of hot chocolate, Yugi bent over his desk and the sounds of pen scratching filled the air. Then, with a mighty yawn, he crawled into bed, knowing that the warmth he felt inside wasn't completely from the cocoa.

_On the fourth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Four tins of cocoa,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: Love you all! See you later!


	5. The Fifth Day of Christmas

Kumori: Here we go! I love this fiction because it's easy to write! Just pointless, mindless fluff, that never fails to get me in a good mood!

Kagayami: I can't disagree.

Kumori: Thank you so much to all who reviewed! I know you probably have it figured out (congrats to the two people who guessed in their reviews…you're both right), but the point wasn't to make it a mystery, but rather to see just how fluffy the guy could get (it's like writing a marshmallow!). Love you guys, and enjoy!

_Day Eight_

Yugi wrinkled his nose. After everything he'd received so far, this was the most odd. Everything else had at least been romantic…but this…

He stared again at the note…maybe there was something written in invisible ink. But no, he couldn't imagine that coming out of nowhere. It simply read:

_Be ready with your friends by five o'clock. You're ride arrives at five sharp. Have fun._

_-Eternal_

His ride? So…was he finally going to meet the person who had sent him everything? And just where was he supposed to go?

"Stop worrying, Yugi! You have all of us with you, nothing bad's going to happen!" Jou wrapped an arm around his best friend's shoulders and gave him a light squeeze, "Besides, you know Seto would have the bloody CIA and FBI out after him if he was missing for more than a few hours without explanation."

The blonde's boyfriend glared at him…but Yugi could see the spark in his eyes. He smiled and nodded. "I know that, Jou…I'm just a little…I don't know…anxious, I guess."

He glanced again at his watch. 4:59. He looked out the window.

Nothing. He sighed. Maybe this had all been a joke…

He froze. Amethyst eyes blinked once, then twice. It couldn't be… "Um…Kaiba, did you arrange for a ride?"

His best friend's koi raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

"Uh…because there's a limo parked outside."

The room went deadly silent. Every one of his friends, each dressed in coat and boots, rushed over to the window to get a look.

"Damn, this guy's got cash!" Malik exclaimed, examining the pristine, shiny black limo that sat parked in front of Yugi's front lawn.

"Well…come on! I wanna know where we're going in this bad boy!" Otogi grinned and headed for the door. He was followed by a round of agreements.

Yugi beamed. It was almost funny. This was his surprise, and everyone else seemed more excited than he was.

The limo, close up, was more impressive than it had been beforehand. The surface shone magnificently, a harsh contrast to the white snow that surrounded it. Yugi almost couldn't breathe…the whole thing was…surreal.

Nothing really permeated his mental fog as he climbed into the back of the limousine (though he did grunt a little when Yami, Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Marik, Anzu, Honda, Otogi, Jonouchi, Seto, Mai, and Shizuka all piled in behind him – surprisingly, they all fit…though some had to sit on others' laps). Yugi barely had time to swipe another note from the seat before he sat on it. He didn't wait to be asked, he simply read aloud:

"_Yugi, dearest,_

_Enjoy the next five hours, for they are my gift to you. The time you've given me was worth more, but this shall suffice until I can repay you with the rest of my days._

_Welcome to your personal tour of Domino, Japan._

_- Eternal"_

Ryou sighed again, and Bakura rolled his eyes. Anzu squeaked and Yami smiled. "'Tour of Domino?'" Yugi reiterated, "But I live here…you'd think I know my own city."

But he had no time to question it further. The limo buzzed as the driver took off. Yugi found it odd that he never said a word to them, or asked them who they were. He simply seemed to accept that these were his passengers. (A/N: Big hint there as to the secret admirer…but you all have that figured out already…I'll just shut up…)

The sky was darkening as they sped through the streets of Domino. And as Yugi stared out the windows, he couldn't help but have his breath taken away. "Amazing…" he murmured.

The streets were lined with lights and people, bustling about. Every turn brought them to a new wonder. Houses bombarded with decorations, carolers, lights, people…he couldn't have asked for anything better.

His eyes remained glued outside as they drove for the next hour. He could hear his friends complaining, but he paid them no mind. He didn't really hear it.

It was nearly an hour and a half later when they reached their ultimate destination. Yugi bit his lip as the limousine slowed down and came to a silent halt. He almost didn't want to get out…what would he find?

With almost shaky legs, he stepped out into the cold, brisk air of winter. He took a deep breath, one that immediately stuck in his throat. He couldn't believe it…

They were on a hill top, a secluded one that he hadn't been to before. The road was behind him, but he didn't truly care. The sight before him held his breath in its clutches. The entire city of Domino lay spread at his feet. Though the hill wasn't steep, and the face was snow-covered (he was sure there was grass beneath), he felt as if he were atop a mountain.

A light wind nipped at his cheeks and he smiled, wide and bright. His friends gathered around him, and they were all stunned to silence as he was. How one person could know him so well, he had no idea.

"Hey…Is that another message?"

Yugi followed Anzu's pointing finger and squinted.

Sure enough, in the snow, almost invisible, was another note almost buried in snow. He picked it up carefully, and grinned even wider at the words. For once, no one asked what it said, and Yugi didn't think to share it, even if it was the simplest of messages.

_I knew you'd love it. You see what others cannot._

_- Eternal_

For the next three and a half hours, Yugi forgot what it was like to be a hikari, or a hero, or the cashier at a game shop, or the King of Games. He was simply Yugi, sitting with his friends, having snowball fights, talking about nothing in particular as friends do.

And when he returned home at 10:30, tired from the trip that had only taken a half-hour on the way home (apparently the "scenic route" had all been part of the surprise), he headed straight to his room, for his paper and pen.

He hugged Yami goodnight, did the same for his grandfather, and smiled once more at the collection of notes on his desk, surrounding that same pad of paper, before drifting off to sleep.

_On the fifth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Five stunning hours!_

_Four tins of cocoa,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINLINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: Whee! That was fun!

Kagayami: Why didn't you describe the five hours? ..:: pout ::..

Kumori: Because that's not the point of the story. I could have ramble on about five hours of time with his friends, but I want to focus on his feelings…plus these are just meant to be short little fluff chapters…nothing heavy and over-the-top.

Kagayami: You're just tired and lazy because it's 10:30 on a school night, aren't you?

Kumori: …Yeah. But oh well. Like it or lump it.

Merry Christmas! See you soon!


	6. The Sixth Day of Christmas

Kumori: ..:: Long, loud, horrid scream:: .. AHHH! I'M SO BEHIND!!

Kagayami: ..:: Is helping hikari type furiously ::.. Can't talk…helping Kumori…

Kumori: Thanks for reviewing, love you all, enjoy! I'll try to catch up today or tomorrow!

_Day Seven_

He bit his lip, stifling a grin.

"Okay…how did he get a hold of all of these pictures?"

Yugi shrugged. In all honesty, he didn't care how the pictures were obtained, only about how they were all carefully placed and positioned, almost with the knowledge of someone there all along.

In Yugi's lap, sat one of six nearly identical photo albums, each one cool to the touch with patches of moisture from still un-melted snow. Each one, in curvy calligraphy, had one word scrawled across the black leather cover.

_Family_ – Filled with pictures he'd long forgotten. Pictures of his deceased parents and him that he didn't even know existed. (When he'd asked his grandfather about it, the old man had shrugged and given him a little smile, but said nothing).

_Yuugi-Ou_ – Filled with assorted promotional pictures he'd taken for duel tournaments, along with paper clippings about him and magazine articles in which he'd given interviews.

_Jonouchi _– Filled with pictures of only him and his best friend. Everything from when they first met, to recently where Seto was with them, in the background or with one arm casually wrapped around the blonde's waist.

_Friends_ – Filled from cover to cover with pictures of Yugi and all his friends. From random shots taken on an outing to the park, to professional shots taken on Christmas (a tradition of sorts, since he and Jou had become friends).

_Friends II_ – Another album, this one only half filled, with more and more pictures of him and assorted friends.

_Yami_ – This one baffled Yugi a bit. Before Yami had gotten a body, he'd still shown up on film (resulting in some odd pictures of a translucent Yami hovering over Yugi). But still, some of these images were posted (even though Yugi was sure he was the only one with those prints) along with more recent ones with Yugi and Yami with his brand new body.

"So…you guys know who this is, don't you?" Yugi asked, not taking his eyes away from the umpteenth picture of himself surrounded by his friends, in "_Friends II."_

Jou shook his head, nose wrinkling as he looked through the many photos in _"Jonouchi."_ "I swear, if I knew who it was, I'd have blabbed by now."

Yugi pondered this. He couldn't argue…Jou was never one good with secrets.

But it still begged the question…how had these pictures been obtained? Had he had contact with grandfather? Had he snuck into his house and stolen them? Or worse, snuck into the houses of those of his friends?

Maybe it was Bakura. Yugi wouldn't put it past him to do such a thing. But…ew. Bakura? No way. Besides, the thief had Ryou, and they were happy as far as Yugi could see.

Maybe it was a trick…

He almost didn't catch the fluttering of paper as a little, white card drifted out from in between the pages he'd been scanning.

_Yugi,_

_Please, do not hold this against me. I promise you, I have attained these pictures in a totally and completely legal manner._

_To show you how much love and care you've brought into the lives of those around you…never forget that you're special._

_- Eternal_

Yugi beamed. Jou cocked his head to one side. The smaller boy just handed his friend the card, and continued to flip through his book, reliving in his mind every moment in time.

His blonde friend regarded the note carefully (Yugi had to hold back a laugh at the sight of his friend staring a _note_ up and down). Finally, Jonouchi just sighed and shrugged. It was impossible to miss the smallest of smiles on his lips.

The rest of the afternoon was spent rifling through page after page of memories. Laughter filled the air until both boys were grabbing at their sides and wiping away tears.

When Yami got home that night, he didn't bother to ask why they were in a heap on the floor, gasping for breath. Yugi didn't bother to tell him (not that he had the breath to). The albums spoke for themselves, each one open to a different page, still moments in time staring up.

Before Yugi went to bed that night, still chuckling to himself every once in a while, he made another note and couldn't help the blush from spreading across his cheeks. 'Someone really thinks I'm that special…'

_On the sixth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Six fun-filled albums,_

_Five stunning hours,_

_Four tins of cocoa,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: No time for goodbye…gotta write next chapter…


	7. The Seventh Day of Christmas

Kumori: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Late, late, late, but I'm catching up!

_Day Six_

Pink dusted the hikari's cheeks and he could feel heat spreading across his features.

_Nothing can compare_

_To you._

_Only you._

_Your smile,_

_Your eyes,_

_Just you._

_Is there a word_

_Spectacular enough_

_To properly capture you?_

_No._

_Only you._

_Only Yugi._

Bakura was making a gagging noise as his chocolate eyes roamed over the words, written on black paper in silver pen. Ryou was having a similar reaction to his shorter friend, blushing a light pink.

"Yugi," he breathed, "These are so sweet!"

Bakura scoffed. "They're pathetic and cliché and mushy."

He grunted as an elbow made contact with his stomach. "You're just jealous because you didn't think of an idea like this." Ryou teased, though the smile never faltered in his lips.

_Light._

_Overpowering,_

_Reviving,_

_Unrelenting,_

_Gentle,_

_Sweet,_

_Irresistible._

_Light,_

_My everything._

Yugi almost laughed out loud. The words were so cheesy and almost overdone…that they were sweet…and the most romantic thing he'd ever received. Seven poems had landed in his mailbox that morning, in a brown envelope, no address and only the name _Yugi_ scrawled across the back.

_My dear Yugi,_

_I love you._

_- Eternal_

The small duelist didn't let Bakura or Ryou see when his smile faltered a little. Love? How can you love someone you don't know? Love was so strong a word to offer…this guy meant something serious, but Yugi couldn't promise his heart to a total stranger. He just couldn't.

::Aibou?::

Yugi didn't jump this time and he didn't let his surprise filter through the link. One of these days he was going to get used to that voice in his head. ::Yeah, Yami?::

::Don't think you owe love to this person. You don't owe anyone anything.::

Yugi furrowed his brow. ::How could I not owe him something? Look at all the trouble he's gone through…::

Yami chuckled, a deep rich sound that filtered through the link and made Yugi temporarily forget his troubles. Yami's laugh had always done that to him. ::Maybe he's doing it for himself. Sometimes it's enough to admit love, and not to have it returned. Just look at Ryou…he confessed to Bakura and didn't expect anything back.::

Yugi blinked and shrugged. ::Good point…I still wish we could've been there when Bakura glomped him, though. That's a priceless admittance of love.::

That same rich sound resounded in Yugi's head as he cut the link and went back to re-reading his new poems. A brand new blush formed on his cheeks as he got to one that spoke about his "angelic body."

That night, after much indecision and lip biting, Yugi pinned each ebony sheet of paper on the wall, and smiled at them as he quickly made his nightly note and crawled into bed.

The silver glinting off the wall had an odd calming effect on him and he couldn't help but sigh happily as the moonlight caused each word to shimmer brightly in the darkness.

_On the seventh day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Seven mushy poems_

_Six fun-filled albums_

_Five stunning hours_

_Four tins of cocoa_

_Three lighted candles_

_Two helpful letters_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: ..:: Panting ::.. Oh my God, you have NO idea how hard it is to write non-stop for hours, and STILL not be near finished…see you soon!


	8. The Eighth Day of Christmas

Kumori: Yeah, yeah. You all know the drill. Enjoy the chapter!

_Day Five_

Odd as it was, Yugi was getting nervous.

He knew he shouldn't have been. It was silly of him. These were gifts to him. Privileges, not rights.

But still, as the hours ticked on, and morning turned to afternoon, turned to evening, turned to night, he couldn't help but feel anxious. Was that it? Was he to go on forever with his admirer's identity a secret?

He sighed as his bright eyes scanned over the channels on the television, most of which were playing old Christmas specials. He didn't really pay much attention when he stopped on "The Grinch," which he'd seen about a trillion times since he was a kid.

"Um…hikari…I think you'd better come see this…"

Yugi raised his eyebrows…Yami was rarely hesitant about anything. And the word "Um" coming from his lips usually meant something very, _very_ odd.

He padded in his socks to the front door, a little trick he and the rest of the hikari's had picked up after each yami had received a body. Just do a little concentrating, and you can sense where your yami is. With practice, concentration wasn't even needed anymore. It was more like a sixths sense; touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell, and Yami.

"What is…oh my Ra…" Yugi trailed off as he stared outside the door, which Yami was holding open for him. Both boys' mouths fell open at the sight.

Their pine tree, always sitting proudly in the front lawn, was covered in clear, bright lights. From top to bottom, it shone magnificently with strings upon stings (Yugi could only guess that there were eight) of the little bulbs until each small pinprick faded into the next and the whole thing became just one glow nearer to the top.

Yugi couldn't breathe. He couldn't talk, he couldn't speak. All he could do was stare dumbly ahead, paying to mind to the chill wind nipping at his bare arms.

"Yami…how…"

"I don't know…I just don't know…maybe when we were gone for those five hours…"

Yugi shook his head. He half expected for the shine to be gone and for him to be hallucinating…but no. No matter how he rubbed his eyes or shook his head or rubbed his temples, the tree still sat there, in all its magnificent, glowing beauty.

It was an automatic reaction to check the mailbox, and sure enough, Yugi pulled forth another letter.

"_Yugi,_

_You've brought so much light into the lives of those around you…and into my life. This doesn't compare, but please accept it anyway. A fraction of the light that you've given others, I'm returning to you now._

_-Eternal_"

"I…I…Oh Ra…" the teen couldn't put together a coherent sentence. It was eventually Yami who closed the door and led him back inside, where he sat down numbly on the couch and rubbed his arms to try and get the feeling back into them.

"How…how did he…"

"Yugi, stop wondering about the how. I think it's kinda cool…" Yami murmured, sitting beside his young light, raising a regal eyebrow at the green character slithering along the ground on TV.

Yugi, as he sat there and began to warm up again, felt a smile creep along his lips. He couldn't help but agree. Screw the how! This was more than kinda cool…he'd never been pampered like this before, but he had to admit that it had its charms…

"Yugi…who is this…thing?"

The hikari smiled. "The Grinch, Yami, he's the Grinch…"

Later that night, Yugi looked over his poems one last time, and looked out his window to where his tree stood. Yami had trudged through the snow and dug to find the cord to put them out for the night, but Yugi still thought they looked magnificent. If he looked hard enough, he could make out their shapes against the moonlight.

_On the eighth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Eight strings of lights,_

_Seven mushy poems,_

_Six fun-filled albums,_

_Five stunning hours,_

_Four tins of cocoa,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: Only one more to go and I'll be caught up! Ugh, next year, I write in advance…See ya!


	9. The Ninth Day of Christmas

Kumori: Here we go! This is where I was supposed to be today…YAY! This was the last day of school!

Kagayami: Huttah! .. ::Does a little dance, makes a little love, and gets down tonight:: ..

Kumori: See? Even my yami's in the Christmas spirit! Happy Holidays and I'll see you real soon!

_Day Four_

Have you ever had a moment when your heart melts? It just turns to a pile of goo in your chest and you can't help but make that one noise – "Awwww!"

Yugi Mutou was having one of those moments. He was sure that his heart was nothing but heart-goo, and "Awwww!" reverberated in his head over and over again.

The sight before him was the most wonderful and unexpected he'd ever seen (well, aside from Yami's brand-spanking new body). Nine children, each dressed so heavily in coats and mitts that they resembled something akin to a starfish, stood before him caroling to the tune of "Joy to the World." Yugi couldn't tell if their cheeks were rosy from embarrassment, the cold, or excitement.

Yugi's own cheeks began to burn when he heard their specially tailored lyrics.

"_Joy to the world,_

_I love you so!_

_I'll never let you go!_

_So sweet, perfect, my everything,_

_Both light and life to all you bring._

_I offer you my love._

_I offer you my love._

_I offer, offer you my love!"_

Yugi squealed in a fashion akin to that of Anzu and clapped his hands as soon as they finished. "Hold on!" he squeaked, and rushed off to find his platter of cookies.

He was grinning so hard it hurt as he watched each child take a cookie and munch on it in turn. "Who sent you?" Yugi couldn't help but ask. He knew he shouldn't have…he should have kept it a secret. But it was eating away at hi. He needed to know who would go through this for him.

The kids didn't say anything. They exchanged worried glances before one shyly spoke. "We're not supposed to tell you…but he told us to give you this…"

Yugi had barely grasped the letter from the child's purple mitten before the kids scurried away, yelling "thank you"s over their shoulder. Yugi called back in the same manner, albeit his were more distant.

He'd begun to work at the envelope the moment it hit his hand.

_Yugi, my Yugi,_

_Ah, ah, ah! You should know better than to ask the children who I am! Don't worry…only a few more days, and you'll know everything._

_I hope you enjoyed my song…_

_Love,_

_Eternal_

Amethyst eyes widened. This guy was good. He knew that Yugi would inquire as to his identity before Yugi himself did.

As the tri-colour-haired duelist folded the letter into his pocket and closed the door, he couldn't help but find himself humming, "Joy to the World." And as he ran of to tell Yami of his excursion, his step was bouncier than usual, and he unknowingly stepped in beat with said Christmas carol.

That night, when the pen scratching stopped and Yugi's room was bathed in darkness, he was still humming, making himself blush when he sang the words to himself.

_On the ninth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Nine singing children_

_Eight strings of lights_

_Seven mushy poems_

_Six fun-filled albums_

_Five stunning hours_

_Four tins of cocoa_

_Three lighted candles_

_Two helpful letters_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: Ah! All caught up! I've just got to catch up on my other one…but that'll be done tomorrow. Too tired tonight. Love you all and I'll see you later!


	10. The Tenth Day of Christmas

Kumori: Okay, sorry to say this, but I don't think I'll finish this before Christmas…but perhaps Boxing Day or the day after. The same goes for the Twelve Lemons of Christmas.

Kagayami: She's super busy around Christmas time…and even though it'll be a little late, it'll still be in the Christmas season!

Kumori: And thank you SO much to everyone who reviewed. I love the positive feedback. ..:: Throws candy canes and Yugi plushies to reviewers ::.. Merry Christmas!

_Day Three_

Amethyst eyes squinted, sliding from right to left in a rhythmic motion. Yugi put his hands on his hips and blew a lock of golden bang from his eyes. "Hey, Yami! Did you find anything yet?"

His yami, currently on his knees and peering underneath their car, shook his head. "Nothing."

Yugi made a little noise of annoyance. At first when he'd received a letter that morning, with a brief set of instructions, he'd been rather excited. But Yugi Mutou could get rather impatient at times, and this just happened to be one of them.

He sighed and let his eyes run over the note he'd gotten that morning again, searching for anything he'd missed.

_Yugi,_

_I know how much you love games. So here's one for you. I've hidden ten messages around your house…each one should be easy to find if you look within yourself. Have fun._

_Love,_

_Eternal_

The first few had been easy enough. One had been taped to the front door, another dangling from a string on his tree. Two had been on the hood of his car, and yet another had been tucked under the door matt. Five notes, each one rather simple in nature. Just one word, scrawled in black ink on a little five by three inch card.

_Forget_

_I_

_You_

_And_

_Forever_

The hikari wrinkled his nose. It seemed that the other five didn't exist. It had been over half an hour, now, of he and his yami searching fruitlessly around their home.

'Think, Yugi, think,' he told himself, 'Where would they be? Look inside yourself…look inside yourself…what does that mean?'

And quite suddenly, the answer was there. Clear as day. His eyes widened, and he broke out into a smile. He was sure he knew the hiding places of the other five cards. "Yami!" he called, "Yami, follow me!"

His darkness gave him an odd look, but didn't argue. His crimson eyes shone with confusion as his hikari led him back into the house. "Aibou, I don't think he was actually _in_ the house…that's called 'breaking and entering'…"

Yugi shook his head. "No, Yami. Keep on your shoes and follow me."

Yugi took the stairs two at a time and bounded straight into his room. He could practically _feel_ his yami itching for an explanation, but Yugi was sure he'd understand soon enough.

He didn't pause once he was in his bedroom, but rather he ran straight to his window and threw open the glass. "Follow me, and be careful!" he called over his shoulder to his yami, but he didn't give the darkness time to respond.

With a lithe sleekness that most people didn't know Yugi Mutou was capable of, the tri-colour-haired duelist shimmied out his window and held fast to the criss-cross of wood that usually held ivy during the summer, but now was covered in only dead branches.

"Yugi! Yugi, what are you doing? Are you insane? You'll fall!"

Yugi nearly laughed out loud at the tone of Yami's voice. It was that worried-panicked-mother tone of voice that was only ever used on Yugi himself.

"Relax, Yami! I do this all the time! Just follow me!"

It was slow going. By the time Yugi had convinced his dark to follow, then begun the tedious climb up, his fingers were starting to go numb. It was a relief when they relinquished their death grip on the wood as the hikari pulled himself up onto the game shop roof.

Yami was panting slightly as he, too, pulled himself up. "Yugi, what are you doing? What's this all about?"

Yugi grinned at his darkness. "Before I met you, this is where I used to go when I was feeling really alone. I would just sit here and watch Domino life pass me by," he explained, "And then, once I made friends, this is where I went when I just needed some time off, or some time to think. And now, this is where I come to just relax by myself."

Yami blinked. "Yugi…but, why come here now?"

The hikari smiled brightly, eyes shining. "Look inside myself. This is where I always come to look inside myself."

Sure enough, when Yugi found the sixth note tied to the chimney, the rest seemed to just pop out at the duo. The seventh, in the storm drain, the eighth under a loose shingle, the ninth taped beneath the eaves trough, the tenth stuck just on the inside of the chimney.

This time, when Yugi placed the cards out before them, and rearranged them in a few different patterns to get it right, he couldn't help but beam at the simple and yet touching message.

_Don't_

_Ever_

_Forget_

_That_

_I_

_Love_

_You._

_Now _

_And_

_Forever._

That evening, as he curled up on the couch next to his yami, he couldn't help but smile every time he thought back to it. In his bedroom, it was tacked up next to the poems, over looking a pad of paper –

_On the Tenth day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Ten words of romance,_

_Nine singing children,_

_Eight strings of lights,_

_Seven mushy poems,_

_Six fun-filled albums,_

_Five stunning hours,_

_Four tins of cocoa,_

_Three lighted candles,_

_Two helpful letters,_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

**LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE**

Kumori: I'm sorry I'm not going to finish this on time! But it'll still be out in enough time to let you enjoy the Christmas spirit! Happy Holidays! See you Boxing Day!


	11. The Eleventh Day of Christmas

Kumori: Hey! I'm back, baby?

Kagayami: You didn't think we could really stay away for THAT long, did you?

Kumori: So here we are, on Christmas Eve, rushing like mad people on a computer that was JUST fixed (after having to reinstall Windows and lose EVERYTHING, including Microsoft Word, so we have to type this in WordPad, which we HATE) to finish up this Christmas story before family comes over!

Kagayami: Not to mention, be on time for Christmas! AND Kumori is sick!

Kumori: Blegh, that I am (enter some hacking coughs here). But I keep my promises, no matter how long it takes me! So, without further ado, we give you the long awaited continuation of "The Twelve Days of Yugi"

_Day Eleven_

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Yugi, I would hate you if I didn't love you so much!"

Yugi only grinned at Anzu as a faint blush spread across his delicate cheeks. "Anzu, it's not THAT big of a deal..."

"Not that big a deal? Yugi, this guy is a GENIUS! He knows everything about you, and he's so mysterious, and he's done so much for you!" Anzu squealed with a little scoff of annoyment, "Why are all the good ones gay?"

Yugi bit his lip, and for the life of him, couldn't think of a retort, because Anzu was right. This was, by far, the most AMAZING person Yugi had ever...well...ever _not_ met.

Amythest eyes swung to the picture window where snow flakes were lazily drifting to the ground. The sun was bright in the sky, and each flake shone like a diamond as it fell slowly, leisurely. Yugi smiled and sipped his hot chocolate (courtesy of Eternal, of course), curling into a tighter ball on his couch. "Perfect..." he murmured to no one in particular, "He must be perfect."

And Anzu squealed again. "Yugi, you're too cute!"

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

"Yami..."

Yugi's darker half glanced up from his book, crimson eyes glinting in the bright light. "Hmm?"

Yugi bit his lip and picked at some lint on his pants that wasn't there. "Yami...I'm nervous."

The ex-Pharaoh replaced his bookmark and stood. Before Yugi could utter another word, he found himself wrapped within Yami's arms. "Aibou, if he didn't love you already, he wouldn't be doing all this. And anyway, if it doesn't work out, you'll still have all of us...and you'll still have me."

They were sure Anzu's squeal, coming from the kitchen, could have been heard clear across town.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

"Yugi, Yugi, Yugi, Yugi! It's here!"

And Yugi, though it shamed him to admit it, was on his feet and at the door with Anzu in a fraction of a second.

Which was probably a bad idea, because the short sprint had his heart beating faster, but the sight before him made it stop all together.

There, in Anzu's hands, were eleven pure white roses, slight bits of snow gathered on some petals. "Oh Ra..."

Anzu, for once, didn't squeal, but rather passed the bouquet to her shorter friend wordlessly.

The stems were cool to the touch, and Yugi inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the blossoms. Gingerly, he ran a pale finger over a petal, delighting in its silky soft texture.

Roses, of course, were his favourite.

"There's a card..." Anzu mumbled, pointing haphazardly, blue eyes still focused on the flowers themselves.

"_Yugi,_

_These roses are almost as pure as you._

_Almost._

_Love,_

_Eternal"_

And that night, when the roses were trimmed and put in a crystal vase and sitting on his bedside table, Yugi smiled softly in his sleep, moonlight glowing on his pale skin.

_On the eleventh day of Christmas, my stalker gave to me,_

_Eleven snow-white roses_

_Ten words of romance_

_Nine singing children_

_Eight strings of lights_

_Seven mushy poems_

_Six fun-filled albums_

_Five stunning hours_

_Four tins of cocoa_

_Three lighted candles_

_Two helpful letters_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Kumori: Short, I know, and kinda crappy, but I feel really yucky and I'm running out of time!

Kagayami: In fact, we have to go work on the next chapter right now!

Kumori: A big thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! Keep 'em comin'!


	12. The Twelfth Day of Christmas

Kumori: Oh Ra, somebody shoot me...Oh, and Merry Christmas.

Kagayami: Yes, my host is still sick...she's all phlegmy and her throat is killing her and she has very little voice!

Kumori: But it's not stopping me! This fiction shall be finished!

Kagayami: And so we present to you...The Twelve Days of Yugi...COMPLETED!

_Day Twelve (dun, dun, duuuuuuun)_

It was Christmas.

And being Christmas, Yugi did Christmassy things.

He opened his presents with Yami and his Grandfather. He ate a fine lunch in the same company, and then invited over his many friends, who proceeded to open more presents with him and eat more fine food.

It was a _good_ Christmas.

But Yugi was getting more and more antsy, jittery, nervous. Soon he had dropped out of conversation and simply sat, wringing his hands, glancing now and again in the direction of the door.

"Okay, no one else is going to say this, so I might as well do it. Yugi, would you calm the hell down?!" Bakura rolled his eyes and ignored the sound thump as Ryou whacked him in the chest.

Yugi blushed softly, light pink dusting his cheeks. "I'm sorry...it's just...what if he doesn't show? I mean, it's going on ten o'clock...or what if he's what I thought he would be in the first place...some weird fan, some old stalker? What if-"

"Yugi."

The little duellist's tirade stopped mid-sentence as he glance at his yami.

"What did I tell you before?"

There were ten very confused expressions as Anzu squealed at Yami's statement.

Yugi smiled and nodded. "Okay..."

And the party continued. They sipped eggnog, played games (all of which were won by either Yami or Yugi), and chatted as friends do. It was warm, and Yugi smiled as he realized he could turn off the heat in his house completely, and it would probably _still_ be warm, simply from the love in the room.

"More eggnog, anybody, while I'm up?" he asked, stretching in a rather cat-like way and grabbing his own glass.

Seeing no one answer in the positive, he headed to the kitchen with his own glass, and filled it again (hoping that Bakura and Marik hadn't found time to sneak in and spike it).

_Knock, knock._

He froze, and was glad he hadn't picked up his glass from the counter, because he was sure he wouldn't have dropped it.

There was silence, and the sound of a door opening, and more silence, and he wondered distantly if he could get everybody to shut up by knocking on a door _all_ the time.

"...Yugi?"

He recognized the voice as Ryou's.

"You better come in here...there's someone to see you."

And Yugi, suddenly, weighed far more than he should hae, because he found it increasingly difficult to move his legs.

He was torn between running in full speed and running _away_ full speed.

Amythest eyes glanced at the doorway leading back to his living room, and his heart jumped into his throat, and his lungs shrunk to half their capacity, and he wanted to melt into a puddle of Yugi goo.

_"...you'll still have all of us...and you'll still have me."_

The corners of the tri-colour-haired duellist's mouth quirked in a tiny smile and his lungs grew just a little.

With a deep breath (that ended in a sort of nervous twitter), he stepped into the living room.

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

It was dark.

Or, at least, darker than it had been.

The lights had been dimmed, the light from the hallway completely extinguished, just enough to create a deep shadow where the living room met the door to the hall.

A shadow that, when Yugi looked closer, contained a single silhouette, leaning against the doorframe.

Yugi opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again. What did someone say to a person who had done so much for them, a person they'd never even met?

He cleared his throat and stepped further into the room. "...Eternal?"

The silhouette nodded.

Yugi gulped. Eternal was definately a man...he could tell by the broad shoulders. And he wasn't tall...but he wasn't short. From the neck up, Yugi couldn't make out any details, the darkness too strong, but he could tell that this man was lean, muscled, athletic.

Hesitantly, stomach overflowing with butterflies, Yugi backed up until he met the wall behind him, and laid one hand on the light switch. "Can I...?"

The silhouette nodded again.

And Yugi flicked his wrist quickly, like ripping off a band-aid, light returning to its normal level. And there, in the doorway, with a small smirk on his lips, was...

...Yami?

Yugi blinked, did a double take, then narrowed his eyes. "Yami! That's not funny!" he huffed, crossing his arms, "I thought he was really here!"

The smirk fell the tiniest bit, and Yami stepped, finally, away from the doorway and further toward his host. "He is, Yugi. He's...me."

And Yugi's jaw dropped.

He searched his yami's eyes frantically for any sign that he was lying, any sign that this was a joke.

But he found none.

"Yami...I-"

"Yugi," his darkness cut him off, voice quieter than normal, almost nervous (which scared Yugi, because Yami was _never_ nervous), "I know that you were expecting someone else, and I understand if this isn't what you want, but I had to tell you because...because it kills me having to see you and love you and not be able to tell you. I just..."

He trailed off and, for the first time in Yugi's memory, dropped his eyes to the floor.

And Yugi knew, without a doubt, what he had to do, what he had to say, what he wanted for the rest of his life.

"Yami."

The King of Games flinched.

"Yami, look at me."

Slowly, as if frightened of his light, the Pharaoh shifted his gaze, and deep crimson met bright purple. "Yugi, please don't think you have to-"

"No, Yami," Yugi interrupted him, a finality in his tone that usually belonged to the Pharaoh, "You've had twelve days to say what you wanted to say, and now it's my turn."

Yami's jaw clicked closed.

"Yami, you're the reason for everything. You brought friends into my life, you saved me when I thought I couldn't be saved. You brought me happiness beyond what I could have expected..."

He took a deep breath, willing the tears he could feel in his throat not to fall.

"We've shared everything Yami. Everything. I don't know why you didn't think to share _this_ with me sooner, because...because..." he gulped again, "Because it would have saved me a lot of grief trying to hide it from you, you idiot!"

Yami cocked his head to the side, a trait that Yugi had a sneaking suspicion he'd picked up from him, but that the small duellist found absolutely endearing.

"Yami, I've loved everything about the last twelve days, but I didn't need anyone to _tell_ me how good I am. What I need is someone to _show_ me...by _loving_ me. And if you had just come out and said it a long time ago, that would have been enough."

And Yugi stepped closer, slowly closing the gap between his yami and himself. "But I'm not complaining. It's happened now, hasn't it? And I suppose we'll have a hell of a story to tell people when they ask how we got together..."

The smirk was back again, full force, and Yugi thought that if he could make Yami smile like that forever, he could die happy.

"Yugi, you know this was supposed to be _me_ confessing to _you_."

Yugi grinned, "Well you kind of botched that up, didn't you?

There was that smirk again. Yugi _really_ wanted to melt into a pile of Yugi goo, now. "Not quite yet. Because I think I'm going to be the first one to say it."

Yugi was the one to tilt his head this time. "Say what?"

Yami leaned in, close enough to wrap his arms around Yugi's waist, close enough for his breath to ghost across Yugi's lips when he spoke. "I love you."

And Yugi, reverting to his natural uke type, blushed magnificently. "I love you, too."

When Yami glanced up, Yugi's blush intensified three-fold, because he had a feeling what his dark was looking at.

_"Keep this little gift…you'll need it in exactly twelve days."_

The mistletoe.

It had, until then, been tucked into his bedside table.

But, upon following Yami's gaze, he found it neatly tied above their heads.

Shyly, he brought his arms to rest upon his look-a-like's shoulders, feeling the grasp on his waist tighten. Once again, their eyes met, each shining with love and adoration, held back for so long.

And when their lips brushed, softly, carefully, gently as a firt kiss should be, Yugi's heart didn't speed up or slow down or stop as it usually did. Instead, it stayed exactly the same, in tandem with Yami's heart, pulsing with the love that threatened to drown Yugi.

And the little hikari didn't mind at all.

They moved together, as one, tasting each other, savouring the flavour they were sure they wouldn't be able to get enough of. Yugi was floating, drifting, clutching to Yami for dear life, marvelling at the warmth of Yami's arms around him, looking forward to many more embraces such as this one.

There were eleven pairs of hands clapping, eleven lips whistling, eleven hearts melting at the sight before them.

But as far as Yugi was concerned, the only thing that mattered in the whole world, were the hands in the small of his back, lips on his own, and the heart he could feel beating against his chest.

_On the twelfth day of Christmas, my __stalker__ true love gave to me:_

_All my dreams come true_

_Eleven snow-white roses_

_Ten words of romance_

_Nine singing children_

_Eight strings of lights_

_Seven mushy poems_

_Six fun-filled albums_

_Five stunning hours_

_Four tins of cocoa_

_Three lighted candles_

_Two helpful letters_

_And a sprig of mistletoe._

LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINE

Kumori: There! All done!

Kagayami: Happy holidays everyone! We hope you enjoyed the midless fluff!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!


End file.
